Electrostatic discharge devices and methods of manufacture

ABSTRACT

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) devices and methods of manufacture are provided. The method includes forming a plurality of fin structures and a mesa structure from semiconductor material. The method further includes forming an epitaxial material with doped regions on the mesa structure and forming gate material over at least the plurality of fin structures. The method further includes planarizing at least the gate material such that the gate material and the epitaxial material are of a same height. The method further includes forming contacts in electrical connection with respective ones of the doped regions of the epitaxial material.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to semiconductor structures and, moreparticularly, to electrostatic discharge (ESD) devices and methods ofmanufacture.

BACKGROUND

Electrostatic discharge is a phenomenon in which electrostatic chargeflows into a semiconductor integrated circuit from an external source.In semiconductor applications, the electrostatic discharge can destroythe integrated circuit. For example, when the electrostatic dischargephenomenon occurs, an amount of electrostatic charge flows into or outof a semiconductor integrated circuit in a moment, resulting in anexcessive current flow through the semiconductor integrated circuitdevice. In this situation, an excessive voltage flows through aninternal circuit resulting in, for example, junction breakdown, linemelting, oxide film dielectric breakdown, or the like, therebydestroying the semiconductor integrated circuit.

In order to prevent the semiconductor integrated circuit from breakingdue to the electrostatic discharge phenomenon, an electrostaticdischarge (ESD) device is commonly provided between an external terminaland an internal circuit of a semiconductor integrated circuit. The ESDdevice forms a bypass for the excessive current, thereby protecting theintegrated circuit. There are many different types of ESD devicescommonly employed, including current limiting elements for limiting atransient current flowing in a semiconductor integrated circuit, such asa diffused resistor and a polysilicon resistor. However, ESD devices arechallenged for SOI finFET devices since Si thickness of the finFETdevices cannot be increased as it competes with the process window ofthe replacement metal gate (RMG) flow.

SUMMARY

In an aspect of the invention, a method comprises forming a plurality offin structures and a mesa structure from semiconductor material. Themethod further comprises forming an epitaxial material with dopedregions on the mesa structure. The method further comprises forming gatematerial over at least the plurality of fin structures. The methodfurther comprises planarizing at least the gate material such that thegate material and the epitaxial material are of a same height. Themethod further comprises forming contacts in electrical connection withrespective ones of the doped regions of the epitaxial material.

In an aspect of the invention, a method comprises: forming a pluralityof fin structures and a mesa structure from silicon on insulatormaterial; forming a blocking material on the fin structures and the mesastructure; removing the blocking material from the mesa structure,exposing the silicon on insulator material of the mesa structure;growing an epitaxial material on the exposed silicon on insulatormaterial of the mesa structure; implanting impurities into the epitaxialmaterial with respective ion implantation processes for positive andnegative impurities; forming gate material over at least the pluralityof fin structures and the epitaxial material; planarizing the gatematerial and the epitaxial material to a same height; and formingcontacts in electrical connection with respective ones of the dopedregions of the epitaxial material.

In an aspect of the invention, a structure comprises: a mesa structurecomposed of silicon on insulator material; a fin region separate fromthe mesa structure with a plurality of fin structures composed of thesilicon on insulator material; epitaxial material on the mesa structure;and a gate material over the plurality of fin structures, wherein thegate material and the epitaxial material on the mesa structure are of asame height.

In another aspect of the invention, a design structure tangibly embodiedin a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, ortesting an integrated circuit is provided. The design structurecomprises the structures of the present invention. In furtherembodiments, a hardware description language (HDL) design structureencoded on a machine-readable data storage medium comprises elementsthat when processed in a computer-aided design system generates amachine-executable representation of the electrostatic discharge (ESD)devices, which comprises the structures of the present invention. Instill further embodiments, a method in a computer-aided design system isprovided for generating a functional design model of the ESD devices.The method comprises generating a functional representation of thestructural elements of the ESD devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in the detailed description whichfollows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way ofnon-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 1-5, 6A-6C and 7-10 show structures and respective processingsteps in accordance with aspects of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a design process used in semiconductordesign, manufacture, and/or test.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to semiconductor structures and, moreparticularly, to electrostatic discharge (ESD) devices and methods ofmanufacture. More specifically, the present invention relates to thickESD devices embedded within a gate structure process.

In a conventional replacement metal gate flow, a chemical mechanicalpolish step (CMP) exposes the gate structures after which dummy silicongates are selectively etched out. The risk of exposing the ESD deviceduring poly open CMP (POC) increases as the height of the ESD device isincreased which could be catastrophic since the ESD device will getattacked during the dummy gate silicon etch. Advantageously, in thepresent invention, by placing the ESD device in the gate structureprocesses, it is now possible to increase the ESD device height afterthe POC step. In this way, the ESD device does not interfere with thePOC process window. Also, by implementing the processes of the presentinvention, ESD height can be increased significantly, e.g., about 70-85nm for current 14 nm SOI implementations; whereas, current, ESD deviceheight for 14 nm SOI implementations is currently limited to about 30-45nm.

In embodiments, the structure of the present invention comprises aplanar region with an SOI slab (mesa) and a fin region separate from theplanar region with a plurality of fins therein. An epitaxial material isprovided substantially over the SOI slab (mesa), wherein a nitride linercontacts sidewalls of the SOI slab (mesa), and contacts the epitaxialmaterial. In embodiments, the uncovered portion of the SOI slab (mesa)can be covered by an epitaxial film which is implanted with dopants andthereafter a high-k film and, in embodiments, gate material. Theplurality of fins and the SOI slab (mesa), have substantially the sameheight, whereas the epitaxial material has substantially greater heightthan both, as described in more detail herein. After further processing,the epitaxial material and the gate material can have the same height,thereby effectively increasing the height of the ESD device, compared toconventional devices.

The ESD devices of the present invention can be manufactured in a numberof ways using a number of different tools. In general, though, themethodologies and tools are used to form structures with dimensions inthe micrometer and nanometer scale. The methodologies, i.e.,technologies, employed to manufacture the ESD devices of the presentinvention have been adopted from integrated circuit (IC) technology. Forexample, the structures of the present invention are built on wafers andare realized in films of material patterned by photolithographicprocesses on the top of a wafer. In particular, the fabrication of theESD devices of the present invention uses three basic building blocks:(i) deposition of thin films of material on a substrate, (ii) applying apatterned mask on top of the films by photolithographic imaging, and(iii) etching the films selectively to the mask.

FIG. 1 shows an intermediate structure formed on an SOI substrate, inaccordance with aspects of the present invention. In particular, thestructure 10 includes a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate 12,comprising a substrate 14, buried oxide layer 16 and a semiconductorlayer 18. In embodiments, the buried oxide layer 16 can be any insulatormaterial, depending on the performance criteria of the device. Thesemiconductor layer 18 can be any semiconductor layer such as, forexample, Si, SiGe, SiGeC, SiC, Ge alloys, GaAs, InAs, InP, and otherIII/V or II/VI compound semiconductors. In embodiments, the SOIsubstrate 12 can be formed using any conventional methods, e.g.,bonding, SiMOX, etc.

FIG. 1 further shows a plurality of fin structures 20 and a mesastructure 22, both formed from the semiconductor layer 18 (withsubstantially the same height). In embodiments, the separated finstructures 20 and mesa structure 22 are SOI material formed usingconventional etching processes, including sidewall image transfer (SIT)techniques. By way of example, in the SIT technique, a mandrel material,e.g., SiO₂, is deposited on the semiconductor layer (SOI) 18 usingconventional CVD processes. A resist is formed on the mandrel material,and exposed to light to form a pattern (openings). A reactive ionetching is performed through the openings to form the mandrels. Inembodiments, the mandrels can have different widths and/or spacingdepending on the desired dimensions between the fin structures 20 and/ormesa structure 22. Spacers are formed on the sidewalls of the mandrelswhich are preferably material that is different than the mandrels, andwhich are formed using conventional deposition processes known to thoseof skill in the art. The spacers can have a width which matches thedimensions of the fin structures 20, for example. The mandrels areremoved or stripped using a conventional etching process, selective tothe mandrel material. An etching is then performed within the spacing ofthe spacers to form the sub-lithographic features. The sidewall spacerscan then be stripped. In embodiments, the mesa 22 can also be formedduring this or other conventional patterning processes, as contemplatedby the present invention, e.g., by adding a photolithography step priorto transferring the sidewall spacers into the semiconductor layer.

A conformal oxide layer 24 is deposited on the fin structures 20 andmesa structure 22, using conventional deposition processes. For example,the conformal oxide layer 24 can be deposited using a conventionalchemical vapor deposition (CVD) process or monolayer deposition (MLD)process. In embodiments, the conformal oxide layer 24 is a dummy orepitaxial oxide layer which will be removed in later processes. An oxidelayer 26 (e.g., high density plasma oxide or flowable oxide (FOX)) andnitride sidewall 28 can be deposited, patterned and polished usingconventional processes, e.g., deposition, lithography, and etching(reactive ion etching (RIE)) processes, to form the remaining structuresof FIG. 1. More specifically, after forming of the oxide layer 24, dummygate deposition and patterning is performed. Nitride spacers 28 areformed along with the extension and source/drain formation which mayinclude (partial) epi growth on the fin structures 20 outside the gateregions and implantation steps. The structure is then covered by oxide26, which can consist of HDP and flowable oxide. The structure is thenplanarized and the gates exposed by the POC process after which thedummy silicon is selectively etched out. The nitride sidewall 28 is incontact with the mesa structure 22 and the conformal oxide layer 24.

In FIG. 2, an oxide layer 30 is formed over the exposed surfaces of thestructure shown in FIG. 1. In embodiments, the oxide layer 30 is a lowquality sacrificial oxide film which can be deposited by a roomtemperature MLD process. In embodiments, the low quality oxide layer 30can be deposited to a thickness of about 5 nm to about 20 nm, andpreferably to a thickness of about 10 nm. In further embodiments, thelow quality oxide layer 30 can have a high HF rate.

As shown in FIG. 3, a resist material 32 is formed over the structure,and patterned to protect the fin structures 20. More specifically, aftera deposition of the resist material 32, the photoresist material 32 isexposed to a pattern of light and developed to form the pattern providedin FIG. 3. After the patterning, the unprotected areas of the lowquality oxide layer 30 and conformal oxide layer 24, e.g., over the mesastructure 22, are removed by an etching process. In embodiments, theetching process can be a conventional Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) etch,followed by a sulfuric peroxide (SP) process to strip the resistmaterial 32. The strip process is then followed by a preclean process toremove any remaining oxide from the mesa 22. The preclean process can befor example a SiCoNi etch or a wet HF step. In this way, thesemiconductor material 18 of the mesa structure 22 will be exposed andcleaned for subsequent processing.

In FIG. 4, an epitaxial material 34 can be grown on the mesa structure22 and, more particular, on the cleaned semiconductor material 18. Inembodiments, the epitaxial material 34 can be crystalline Si basedmaterial (e.g., Si or SiGe) or poly material grown to different heights,depending on the gate height. For example, the present inventioncontemplates a height of 75 nm for the epitaxial material 34.

As further shown in FIG. 5, a mask 36 is formed over the fin structures20 and an ion implantation process is performed on the exposed portionsof the epitaxial material 34. In embodiments, the ion implantationprocess is a N-implantation process. For example, in embodiments, theepitaxial material 34 can be implanted with an n-type impurity such asphosphorous, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, etc. In embodiments, forexample, the implant conditions for arsenic may be 5.0 e12/25 keV;although other conditions and implants are contemplated by the presentinvention. In subsequent steps, the mask 36 can be removed.

FIGS. 6A-6C show ion implantation processes according to aspects of thepresent invention. FIG. 6A is a cross sectional view of the structure;whereas, FIGS. 6B and 6C show top views of the structure showingplacement of the masks 38 for different ion implantation processes. Inthe processes represented by FIGS. 6A-6C, the epitaxial material 34 andmesa structure 22 can be doped with P+ and N+ implants, during differentimplantation processes. For example, while protecting P+ areas with mask38, the N+ areas can be implanted with phosphorous under the followingconditions: 1.0 e15/10 keV. Similarly, while protecting N+ areas withmask 38, the P+ areas can be implanted with BF₂ under the followingconditions: BF₂1.0 e15/15 keV. As should be understood by those of skillin the art, after each implant process, the respective mask 38 can beremoved using conventional processes, as described herein. Also, theseimplant processes can take any order and are provided at an energy levelsuch that they will implant into the mesa structure 22.

As shown representatively in FIG. 7, remaining portions of the lowquality oxide layer and the oxide film over the fin structures 20 can beremoved. This can then be followed by a cleaning of the exposedsemiconductor material 18 of the fin structures 20.

In FIG. 8, a gate stack 40 is deposited over the fin structures 20 andepitaxial material 34. In embodiments, the gate stack 40 can include anygate stack material. For example, the gate stack 40 can includedifferent metals for a Pfet and Nfet, with different work functionmetals. By way of more specific example, gate stack 40 can include adielectric material, e.g., hafnium based high-k dielectric material(HfO₂) or other oxide based materials, followed by the deposition ofwork function metals, aluminum, tungsten or polysilicon as examples.

In FIG. 9, the gate stack 40 and ion implanted epitaxial material 34 canbe planarized using conventional CMP processes. In this way, the gatestack 40 and ion implanted epitaxial material 34 can have a same height.By forming the gate stack 40 after the ion implanted epitaxial material34, it is now possible to significantly increase the height of the ESDdevice (formed from the ion implanted epitaxial material 34), e.g.,about 70-85 nm for current 14 nm SOI implementations; compared to ESDdevice height for 14 nm SOI implementations in currently knownimplementations, e.g., about 30-45 nm.

As shown in FIG. 10, an optional blocking layer, e.g., nitride, 42 isdeposited on the planarized surface of the gate stack 40 and ionimplanted epitaxial material 34. An insulating layer 44, e.g., oxide, isdeposited on the blocking layer 42. The insulating layer 44 can bedeposited using any conventional deposition process including, forexample, CVD or plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD). Contacts 46 are formed inthe insulating layer 44, contacting the respectively doped regions ofthe ion implanted epitaxial material 34.

In embodiments, the contacts 46 are formed by conventional lithography,etching and deposition processes. For example, after patterning of aresist, openings can be formed in the insulating layer 44 using aconventional RIE process, with appropriate etch chemistries. A tungstenmaterial can then be deposited within the openings, followed by aplanarization process to form the contacts 46.

Silicide regions 48 are formed at the junction of the contacts 46 andthe respective ion implanted regions of the epitaxial material 34. Thesesilicide regions 48 can be formed through the contacts, usingconventional annealing processes. Wiring can then be formed inelectrical connection with the contacts 44 (as also represented byreference numeral 44).

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a design process used in semiconductordesign, manufacture, and/or test. FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of anexemplary design flow 900 used for example, in semiconductor IC logicdesign, simulation, test, layout, and manufacture. Design flow 900includes processes, machines and/or mechanisms for processing designstructures or devices to generate logically or otherwise functionallyequivalent representations of the design structures and/or devicesdescribed above and shown in FIGS. 1-10. The design structures processedand/or generated by design flow 900 may be encoded on machine-readabletransmission or storage media to include data and/or instructions thatwhen executed or otherwise processed on a data processing systemgenerate a logically, structurally, mechanically, or otherwisefunctionally equivalent representation of hardware components, circuits,devices, or systems. Machines include, but are not limited to, anymachine used in an IC design process, such as designing, manufacturing,or simulating a circuit, component, device, or system. For example,machines may include: lithography machines, machines and/or equipmentfor generating masks (e.g. e-beam writers), computers or equipment forsimulating design structures, any apparatus used in the manufacturing ortest process, or any machines for programming functionally equivalentrepresentations of the design structures into any medium (e.g. a machinefor programming a programmable gate array).

Design flow 900 may vary depending on the type of representation beingdesigned. For example, a design flow 900 for building an applicationspecific IC (ASIC) may differ from a design flow 900 for designing astandard component or from a design flow 900 for instantiating thedesign into a programmable array, for example a programmable gate array(PGA) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) offered by Altera® Inc.or Xilinx® Inc.

FIG. 11 illustrates multiple such design structures including an inputdesign structure 920 that is preferably processed by a design process910. Design structure 920 may be a logical simulation design structuregenerated and processed by design process 910 to produce a logicallyequivalent functional representation of a hardware device. Designstructure 920 may also or alternatively comprise data and/or programinstructions that when processed by design process 910, generate afunctional representation of the physical structure of a hardwaredevice. Whether representing functional and/or structural designfeatures, design structure 920 may be generated using electroniccomputer-aided design (ECAD) such as implemented by a coredeveloper/designer. When encoded on a machine-readable datatransmission, gate array, or storage medium, design structure 920 may beaccessed and processed by one or more hardware and/or software moduleswithin design process 910 to simulate or otherwise functionallyrepresent an electronic component, circuit, electronic or logic module,apparatus, device, or system such as those shown in FIGS. 1-10. As such,design structure 920 may comprise files or other data structuresincluding human and/or machine-readable source code, compiledstructures, and computer-executable code structures that when processedby a design or simulation data processing system, functionally simulateor otherwise represent circuits or other levels of hardware logicdesign. Such data structures may include hardware-description language(HDL) design entities or other data structures conforming to and/orcompatible with lower-level HDL design languages such as Verilog andVHDL, and/or higher level design languages such as C or C++.

Design process 910 preferably employs and incorporates hardware and/orsoftware modules for synthesizing, translating, or otherwise processinga design/simulation functional equivalent of the components, circuits,devices, or logic structures shown in FIGS. 1-10 to generate a netlist980 which may contain design structures such as design structure 920.Netlist 980 may comprise, for example, compiled or otherwise processeddata structures representing a list of wires, discrete components, logicgates, control circuits, I/O devices, models, etc. that describes theconnections to other elements and circuits in an integrated circuitdesign. Netlist 980 may be synthesized using an iterative process inwhich netlist 980 is resynthesized one or more times depending on designspecifications and parameters for the device. As with other designstructure types described herein, netlist 980 may be recorded on amachine-readable data storage medium or programmed into a programmablegate array. The medium may be a non-volatile storage medium such as amagnetic or optical disk drive, a programmable gate array, a compactflash, or other flash memory. Additionally, or in the alternative, themedium may be a system or cache memory, buffer space, or electrically oroptically conductive devices and materials on which data packets may betransmitted and intermediately stored via the Internet, or othernetworking suitable means.

Design process 910 may include hardware and software modules forprocessing a variety of input data structure types including netlist980. Such data structure types may reside, for example, within libraryelements 930 and include a set of commonly used elements, circuits, anddevices, including models, layouts, and symbolic representations, for agiven manufacturing technology (e.g., different technology nodes, 32 nm,45 nm, 90 nm, etc.). The data structure types may further include designspecifications 940, characterization data 950, verification data 960,design rules 970, and test data files 985 which may include input testpatterns, output test results, and other testing information. Designprocess 910 may further include, for example, standard mechanical designprocesses such as stress analysis, thermal analysis, mechanical eventsimulation, process simulation for operations such as casting, molding,and die press forming, etc. One of ordinary skill in the art ofmechanical design can appreciate the extent of possible mechanicaldesign tools and applications used in design process 910 withoutdeviating from the scope and spirit of the invention. Design process 910may also include modules for performing standard circuit designprocesses such as timing analysis, verification, design rule checking,place and route operations, etc.

Design process 910 employs and incorporates logic and physical designtools such as HDL compilers and simulation model build tools to processdesign structure 920 together with some or all of the depictedsupporting data structures along with any additional mechanical designor data (if applicable), to generate a second design structure 990.

Design structure 990 resides on a storage medium or programmable gatearray in a data format used for the exchange of data of mechanicaldevices and structures (e.g. information stored in a IGES, DXF,Parasolid XT, JT, DRG, or any other suitable format for storing orrendering such mechanical design structures). Similar to designstructure 920, design structure 990 preferably comprises one or morefiles, data structures, or other computer-encoded data or instructionsthat reside on transmission or data storage media and that whenprocessed by an ECAD system generate a logically or otherwisefunctionally equivalent form of one or more of the embodiments of theinvention shown in FIGS. 1-10. In one embodiment, design structure 990may comprise a compiled, executable HDL simulation model thatfunctionally simulates the devices shown in FIGS. 1-10.

Design structure 990 may also employ a data format used for the exchangeof layout data of integrated circuits and/or symbolic data format (e.g.information stored in a GDSII (GDS2), GL1, OASIS, map files, or anyother suitable format for storing such design data structures). Designstructure 990 may comprise information such as, for example, symbolicdata, map files, test data files, design content files, manufacturingdata, layout parameters, wires, levels of metal, vias, shapes, data forrouting through the manufacturing line, and any other data required by amanufacturer or other designer/developer to produce a device orstructure as described above and shown in FIGS. 1-10. Design structure990 may then proceed to a stage 995 where, for example, design structure990: proceeds to tape-out, is released to manufacturing, is released toa mask house, is sent to another design house, is sent back to thecustomer, etc.

The method(s) as described above is used in the fabrication ofintegrated circuit chips. The resulting integrated circuit chips can bedistributed by the fabricator in raw wafer form (that is, as a singlewafer that has multiple unpackaged chips), as a bare die, or in apackaged form. In the latter case the chip is mounted in a single chippackage (such as a plastic carrier, with leads that are affixed to amotherboard or other higher level carrier) or in a multichip package(such as a ceramic carrier that has either or both surfaceinterconnections or buried interconnections). In any case the chip isthen integrated with other chips, discrete circuit elements, and/orother signal processing devices as part of either (a) an intermediateproduct, such as a motherboard, or (b) an end product. The end productcan be any product that includes integrated circuit chips, ranging fromtoys and other low-end applications to advanced computer products havinga display, a keyboard or other input device, and a central processor.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor structure, comprising: an ESDdevice on a substrate; and a gate stack over a plurality of fins on thesubstrate, wherein an upper surface of the gate stack is co-planar withan upper surface of the ESD device.
 2. The semiconductor structure ofclaim 1, wherein the gate stack and the plurality of fins are on aburied oxide layer and between nitride sidewalls.
 3. The semiconductorstructure of claim 1, further comprising a blocking layer on the uppersurfaces of the ESD device and the gate stack.
 4. The semiconductorstructure of claim 3, further comprising an insulating layer on theblocking layer.
 5. The semiconductor structure of claim 4, furthercomprising plural contacts extending through the insulating layer andthe blocking layer, and contacting the ESD device.
 6. The semiconductorstructure of claim 5, further comprising plural silicide regions on theESD device, wherein the plural contacts contact the plural silicideregions.
 7. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, further comprisingan oxide layer and nitride sidewalls between the ESD device and the gatestack.
 8. A method of forming a semiconductor structure, comprising:forming an ESD device on a substrate; forming a gate stack over aplurality of fins on the substrate; and planarizing the ESD device andthe gate stack such that an upper surface of the gate stack is co-planarwith an upper surface of the ESD device.
 9. The method of claim 8,further comprising forming the gate stack and the plurality of fins on aburied oxide layer and between nitride sidewalls.
 10. The method ofclaim 8, further comprising forming a blocking layer on the uppersurfaces of the ESD device and the gate stack.
 11. The method of claim10, further comprising forming an insulating layer on the blockinglayer.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming pluralcontacts extending through the insulating layer and the blocking layer,and contacting the ESD device.
 13. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising forming plural silicide regions on the ESD device, whereinthe plural contacts contact the plural silicide regions.
 14. The methodof claim 8, further comprising forming an oxide layer and nitridesidewalls between the ESD device and the gate stack.